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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: last · can · bank · spring · craft · field · bore · hide

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bore — to tire
  6. last — final
  7. field — a subject
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. field — farmland
  10. spring — of water
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bank — for money
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bore — to drill
  17. spring — a coil
  18. craft — a skill
  19. spring — the season
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. last — to go on
  23. craft — boats
  24. field — for sport

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