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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: bore · spell · craft · bay · straw · hand · pitch · ruler

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bore — to tire
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. craft — a skill
  8. spell — a short time
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. craft — boats
  19. spell — magic
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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