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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. spring — of water
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spring — the season
  9. mark — a trace
  10. tear — from crying
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spell — letters
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — magic
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. spring — a coil
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mug — a face

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