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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. can — a tin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fine — high quality
  12. charge — in control
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. spring — the season
  22. charge — electricity
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bore — gave birth

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