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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: foot · deal · cabinet · saw · craft · can · bore · spring

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. craft — a skill
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spring — the season
  11. bore — to drill
  12. spring — a coil
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bore — to tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. can — a tin
  19. deal — to handle
  20. craft — boats
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. can — to be able to
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. spring — of water

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