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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · mate · plane · craft · perch · cabinet · bore · pitcher

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mate — a friend
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. craft — boats
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. content — the amount
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mate — to breed

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