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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: bore · sharp · craft · saw · ball · leaves · present · pass

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pass — a permit
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. craft — boats
  7. saw — the tool
  8. present — the time now
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. present — a gift
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ball — a dance
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. present — there
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ball — a great time

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