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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. firm — a company
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. deal — to handle
  7. staff — employees
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. firm — steady
  11. mine — for digging
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. staff — employees
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. firm — decided
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. staff — a stick
  21. band — a music group
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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