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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. can — a tin
  3. bound — certain
  4. net — for catching
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. can — a tin
  7. mine — for digging
  8. net — after costs
  9. bound — tied together
  10. spring — the season
  11. lean — to bend
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bound — obliged
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. lean — thin
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bore — to tire
  22. net — in sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mine — belonging to me

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