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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: jam · band · craft · fan · file · bore · ground · lie

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. file — a document
  3. ground — a position
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. craft — boats
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. band — a music group
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ground — the earth
  17. file — a tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. file — a line of people
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fan — a supporter

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