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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. row — to paddle
  3. spring — a coil
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. row — a line
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. spring — of water
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. tear — to rip
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rule — a law
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rule — government
  24. rock — to move gently

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