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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. spring — a coil
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rock — music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. season — of the year
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. spring — of water
  16. tear — from crying
  17. season — in sport
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. spring — the season
  24. wake — before a funeral

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