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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bound — certain
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. spring — of water
  13. suit — to fit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. suit — in cards
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bound — tied together
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. spring — the season
  24. bore — to drill

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