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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: stand · roll · craft · bowl · chest · bore · club · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bore — to tire
  11. club — for golf
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. spell — a short time
  14. club — a group
  15. roll — a cake
  16. spell — magic
  17. craft — boats
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. club — for dancing
  23. craft — a skill
  24. chest — a box

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