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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.

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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: hide · mine · craft · pound · bore · leaves · current · rash

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bore — to tire
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. current — happening now
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. current — of water
  10. rash — a series
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rash — hasty
  13. current — electric
  14. craft — boats
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bore — to drill
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mine — an explosive

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