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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. swing — music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. perch — the fish
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mug — a face
  23. tube — a container
  24. bore — to drill

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