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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: craft · chest · hide · wake · bore · nail · chip · cell

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. chest — a box
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cell — a phone
  12. chip — for betting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cell — in biology
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bore — to drill
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. craft — boats
  23. cell — in a prison
  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