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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: fork · jam · bore · hide · craft · chest · march · season

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. march — the month
  3. chest — of your body
  4. march — the month
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. march — music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. season — in sport
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chest — of your body
  17. season — of the year
  18. craft — a skill
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. craft — boats
  21. chest — a box
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bore — to drill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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