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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · bear · shower · can · temple · spell · bay · bore

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spell — letters
  7. bear — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. shower — rain
  11. craft — a skill
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. shower — to wash
  18. spell — magic
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. craft — boats
  24. spell — a short 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