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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.

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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: wake · cap · bore · can · craft · land · season · fall

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. can — a tin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. craft — boats
  5. bore — to drill
  6. season — of the year
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wake — a trail
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. season — in sport
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cap — of ice
  23. land — a country
  24. bore — to tire

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