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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: spring · hand · cue · trunk · perch · bore · craft · chair

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. perch — the fish
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. spring — the season
  8. craft — a skill
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cue — a signal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bore — to tire
  14. craft — boats
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. spring — a coil
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cue — for pool
  20. hand — help
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spring — of water

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