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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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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: fall · pound · craft · band · game · bore · deal · stem

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bore — to drill
  3. fall — the season
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. band — a music group
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bore — to tire
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. craft — boats
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pound — a weight
  23. band — a ring
  24. fall — to drop

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