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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.

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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: foot · bat · craft · lie · jam · bore · bowl · calf

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bat — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. craft — boats
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. craft — a handicraft

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