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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rule — government
  5. track — a song
  6. rule — a law
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. ball — a dance
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. spring — the season
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. track — to keep track
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — a path
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. spring — of water
  24. straw — dry grass

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