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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. current — happening now
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — for light
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. capital — a city
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — of water
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. spring — the season
  13. current — of water
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bore — to tire
  17. deal — to handle
  18. tear — from crying
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. tear — to rip

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