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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: mine · craft · spell · fan · bore · race · jam · cue

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. race — humankind
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. race — the arms race
  9. cue — for pool
  10. spell — letters
  11. craft — boats
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. race — a contest
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. spell — magic
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cue — a hint
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. spell — a short time

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