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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 120 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: can · fall · craft · dip · staff · fine · bore · mate

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fall — the season
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fall — to drop
  7. staff — a stick
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fine — high quality
  10. can — a tin
  11. craft — a skill
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. staff — employees
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. craft — boats
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bore — to tire
  19. can — a tin
  20. staff — employees
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fine — all right
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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