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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 116 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: calf · spring · current · game · bore · kid · fall · craft

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. spring — of water
  5. current — of water
  6. kid — to tease
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kid — child
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fall — the season
  12. craft — boats
  13. current — electric
  14. spring — a coil
  15. current — happening now
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. game — wild animals
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. game — a match
  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