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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fine — all right
  10. rash — hasty
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rash — a series
  15. kick — in football
  16. bound — certain
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. spring — the season
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. spring — of water

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