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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 120 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: rest · bore · mine · pound · deal · lie · craft · scale

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bore — to tire
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. craft — boats
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rest — what's left
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bore — to drill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pound — a weight
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. scale — in music
  24. craft — a skill

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