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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bore — to tire
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bound — tied together
  13. track — a path
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. cap — of ice
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spring — the season
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bound — certain
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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