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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fall — to drop
  4. spring — the season
  5. bore — to drill
  6. capital — a city
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bore — to tire
  13. capital — money
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ball — a dance
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fall — the season
  20. fine — all right
  21. spring — of water
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rush — a thrill

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