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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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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: bound · saw · sharp · net · stem · craft · bore · cap

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bound — obliged
  3. saw — the tool
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. net — after costs
  6. sharp — clever
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. craft — boats
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. cap — a lid
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. net — for catching
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cap — of ice

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