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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. club — for golf
  7. fall — the season
  8. current — happening now
  9. fall — to drop
  10. club — a group
  11. mark — a trace
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spring — of water
  21. bore — to drill
  22. current — of water
  23. deal — to handle
  24. current — electric

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