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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rest — a break
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. bore — to tire
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. spring — the season

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