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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: can · fork · bore · leaves · season · craft · fall · game

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fall — to drop
  3. can — a tin
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. season — of the year
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bore — to drill
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. craft — boats
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. season — in sport
  17. fall — the season
  18. fork — in a road
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. can — to be able to
  21. craft — a skill
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fork — to eat with

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