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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bore — to drill
  3. spring — of water
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. object — to protest
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spring — a coil
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spring — the season
  10. object — a thing
  11. lean — to bend
  12. land — ground
  13. object — an aim
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lean — thin
  22. land — a country
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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