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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. spring — of water
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bore — to drill
  8. object — to protest
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bound — certain
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. face — to confront
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. drill — army training
  18. spring — a coil
  19. drill — the tool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bound — obliged
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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