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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bore — to drill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bore — to tire
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. spring — the season
  18. wake — a trail
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pit — a hole
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ground — the earth
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ground — a position

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