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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. suit — clothes
  8. chest — of your body
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rash — a series
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. suit — to fit
  17. chest — a box
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bore — to tire
  21. chest — of your body
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. rash — hasty

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