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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spring — the season
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bore — to drill
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rush — hurry
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mark — a trace
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spring — of water

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