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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bore — to drill
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spring — the season
  15. ball — a great time
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ball — a dance
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cabinet — ministers

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