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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: deal · bore · craft · pound · spring · squash · kid · mug

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bore — to drill
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. craft — boats
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spring — the season
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mug — a cup
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. mug — to rob
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mug — a face
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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