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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 120 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fork — in a road
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. court — of law
  9. spring — of water
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bore — to drill
  14. object — a thing
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. court — of a king
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. object — to protest
  20. court — for sport
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. deal — to handle
  23. object — an aim
  24. hide — to keep secret

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