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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 112 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. spring — the season
  8. fine — all right
  9. face — to point toward
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. face — part of the head
  13. tube — a container
  14. spring — of water
  15. bore — to drill
  16. face — to confront
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bore — to tire
  24. plane — an aircraft

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