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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pop — soda
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. swing — music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. drill — army training
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pop — music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pop — to visit
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. arm — a part of something

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