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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ground — a position
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bore — to tire
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — a tin
  13. board — a committee
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. spring — of water
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bore — to drill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. patient — a sick person

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