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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: trunk · shower · craft · row · staff · nail · safe · bore

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. staff — employees
  4. row — to paddle
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bore — to tire
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bore — to drill
  14. shower — rain
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. staff — employees
  17. craft — boats
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. craft — a skill
  23. staff — a stick
  24. trunk — of a tree

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