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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 116 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: craft · coach · perch · spell · fall · cabinet · bore · kid

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bore — to tire
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. craft — boats
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fall — to drop
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fall — to drop
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — to tease
  18. spell — magic
  19. kid — child
  20. fall — the season
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spell — letters
  24. perch — the fish

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