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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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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 · chest · race · rest · club · deal · bore · mouse

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rest — a break
  8. craft — a skill
  9. chest — of your body
  10. race — the arms race
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. race — a contest
  15. rest — what's left
  16. club — for dancing
  17. race — humankind
  18. craft — boats
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bore — to tire
  21. chest — a box
  22. club — a group
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. club — for golf

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