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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. bore — to drill
  4. band — a music group
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. march — music
  7. spring — the season
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. suit — to fit
  13. vault — a safe
  14. march — the month
  15. bore — to tire
  16. content — happy
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. march — the month
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. perch — the fish
  21. content — the amount
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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