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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
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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: cold · hide · object · bore · race · pop · craft · mate

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. race — the arms race
  3. object — an aim
  4. pop — soda
  5. object — a thing
  6. mate — a partner
  7. craft — a skill
  8. race — humankind
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cold — not warm
  22. race — a contest
  23. object — to protest
  24. bore — to drill

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