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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fine — high quality
  11. spring — the season
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wind — moving air
  15. charge — a price
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fine — all right
  18. bore — to drill
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. spring — of water
  24. cap — of ice

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