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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. spring — of water
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chair — a leader
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cue — for pool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. racket — for tennis

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