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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: saw · cell · craft · bore · land · drill · leaves · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. land — ground
  3. craft — boats
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. drill — the tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bore — to tire
  10. drill — army training
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. land — a country
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. cell — in biology
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. land — to come down
  22. saw — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cell — a phone

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