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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. rash — hasty
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rash — a series
  14. spring — of water
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. fine — all right
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. spring — the season
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spring — a coil
  23. net — for catching
  24. fine — high quality

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