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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fall — to drop
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bore — to drill
  10. clip — to cut
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. clip — a video
  14. spring — of water
  15. fall — the season
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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