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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wind — moving air
  8. club — for golf
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. season — in sport
  11. spring — the season
  12. press — to push
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. club — for dancing
  18. spring — of water
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mark — a trace
  24. press — newspapers

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