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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bound — certain
  10. spring — of water
  11. bound — tied together
  12. hand — help
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. file — a document
  16. hand — in cards
  17. spring — the season
  18. bound — obliged
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rock — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — to tire
  24. hand — part of the body

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