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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: present · craft · spring · roll · bore · plane · band · ground

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. spring — the season
  3. ground — crushed
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. roll — a list
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. plane — a tool
  12. spring — a coil
  13. ground — a position
  14. spring — of water
  15. band — a ring
  16. ground — the earth
  17. craft — a skill
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. craft — boats
  22. present — there
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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