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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fall — to drop
  3. current — happening now
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fall — the season
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bore — to drill
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — to tire
  21. tear — from crying
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. current — of water
  24. tear — from crying

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