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

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stand — to bear
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bass — low music
  6. cell — in biology
  7. spring — of water
  8. root — of a word
  9. toast — bread
  10. spring — a coil
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. root — the cause
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rock — music
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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