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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · hide · shower · arm · wind · mug · current · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. current — electric
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. shower — rain
  5. bore — to drill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mug — a face
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mug — to rob
  11. craft — a skill
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wind — moving air
  18. shower — to wash
  19. craft — boats
  20. current — of water
  21. mug — a cup
  22. current — happening now
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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