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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: bore · object · coach · perch · rush · clip · craft · fall

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. object — a thing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. clip — a video
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fall — to drop
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. clip — for paper
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. object — to protest
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. craft — boats
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fall — to drop
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bore — to drill
  20. object — an aim
  21. clip — to cut
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fall — the season
  24. bore — gave birth

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