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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. bore — to drill
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. spring — the season
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. season — in sport
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stem — to come from
  14. current — of water
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spring — a coil
  17. season — of the year
  18. mark — a grade
  19. current — electric
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. ruler — for measuring

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