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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 116 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: chair · lash · craft · deal · pitcher · bass · bore · object

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. object — a thing
  3. bass — low music
  4. craft — boats
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. object — to protest
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bass — the fish
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bore — to tire
  24. object — an aim

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