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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: staff · craft · bound · pit · bore · lash · wake · pound

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. staff — employees
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bound — certain
  11. bore — to tire
  12. craft — boats
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bound — tied together
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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