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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.

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: track · wound · bore · face · hide · bay · net · craft

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. craft — boats
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — to drill
  7. net — after costs
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. face — to point toward
  12. craft — a skill
  13. net — for catching
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wound — an injury
  17. face — to confront
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. net — in sport
  20. wound — an injury
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — a song

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