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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. band — a ring
  8. lean — to bend
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bore — to drill
  12. lean — thin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chair — a leader
  15. saw — the tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — the tool
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mark — a grade
  23. band — a music group
  24. bore — gave birth

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