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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. spell — letters
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mark — a trace
  8. spring — the season
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spell — a short time
  12. lie — to recline
  13. spring — of water
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. spell — magic
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mark — a grade

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