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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spring — of water
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spring — the season
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pop — soda
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pop — music
  18. bore — to drill
  19. track — a path
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — a song

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