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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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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: bowl · craft · tear · bay · bore · kid · rest · mark

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rest — what's left
  7. craft — boats
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rest — a break
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. kid — to tease
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. kid — child
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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