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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bear — the animal
  3. court — of law
  4. spring — the season
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. court — of a king
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — government
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spring — of water
  20. bore — to tire
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. court — for sport
  23. rule — a law
  24. bore — to drill

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