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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bore — to drill
  3. spring — of water
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. spring — the season
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. present — a gift
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rest — what's left
  14. scale — in music
  15. rest — a break
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mouse — the animal

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