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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: cold · pitcher · suit · shower · stick · bore · snap · craft

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. suit — clothes
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bore — to tire
  7. shower — rain
  8. snap — to click
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cold — not warm
  13. craft — a skill
  14. shower — to wash
  15. suit — in cards
  16. craft — boats
  17. cold — an illness
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bore — gave birth

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