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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. court — of a king
  5. mate — to breed
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. court — for sport
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bear — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spring — of water
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spring — the season
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. court — of law

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