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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bore — to tire
  3. net — after costs
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. net — in sport
  8. spring — of water
  9. spell — letters
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. net — for catching
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spring — the season
  22. key — the most important part
  23. spell — magic
  24. spring — a coil

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