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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · craft · shower · rest · drill · bay · game · bore

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — a skill
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. game — a match
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. drill — army training
  10. bore — to tire
  11. shower — rain
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bore — to drill
  15. shower — to wash
  16. craft — boats
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rest — a break
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com