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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. season — in sport
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. spring — the season
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rush — hurry
  9. spring — of water
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. spring — a coil
  15. season — of the year
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ground — a position

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