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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: cell · bore · craft · stick · dip · jam · can · wound

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cell — in biology
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wound — an injury

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