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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.

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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: fan · mate · ground · craft · suit · tear · bore · race

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — to drill
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bore — to tire
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mate — to breed
  13. race — humankind
  14. mate — a friend
  15. race — the arms race
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mate — a partner
  23. race — a contest
  24. craft — boats

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