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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.

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: rest · mine · temple · bore · trunk · ball · saw · craft

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. craft — a skill
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rest — a break
  7. mine — for digging
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bore — to drill
  15. saw — the tool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. craft — boats
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rest — what's left

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