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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bore — to tire
  5. spring — of water
  6. object — a thing
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tear — from crying
  9. spring — the season
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. object — an aim
  14. pop — soda
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pop — music
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. object — to protest
  24. pop — to visit

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