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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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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 · rule · craft · capital · wound · lean · bay · chest

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. craft — boats
  3. capital — a city
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rule — government
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lean — thin
  10. rule — a law
  11. chest — a box
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. capital — money
  15. wound — an injury
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lean — to bend

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