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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: craft · staff · spring · game · shower · rest · lash · bore

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. staff — a stick
  3. craft — boats
  4. bore — to drill
  5. game — a match
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — wild animals
  9. staff — employees
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. craft — a skill
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spring — of water
  16. bore — to tire
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. spring — the season
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. shower — rain
  23. rest — what's left
  24. craft — a handicraft

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