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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: kick · present · bound · craft · lean · bore · kid · current

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bore — to tire
  4. present — the time now
  5. craft — a skill
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bound — obliged
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bound — certain
  10. present — a gift
  11. lean — thin
  12. current — electric
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. present — there
  16. bound — tied together
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. kid — child
  20. craft — boats
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bore — to drill
  23. kick — in football
  24. bore — gave birth

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