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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 120 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bark — to shout
  3. spring — a coil
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. charge — in control
  7. spring — the season
  8. charge — a price
  9. field — a subject
  10. mark — a grade
  11. field — for sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. field — farmland
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. lie — to recline
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bore — gave birth

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