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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: pit · lash · cold · craft · bore · scale · bass · bound

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bass — the fish
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pit — in a race
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. craft — boats
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. scale — in music
  20. bass — low music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bound — certain

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