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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wake — a trail
  3. can — a tin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fine — all right
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — to drill
  8. spring — of water
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spring — the season
  12. bat — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bat — in an idiom

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