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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. spring — the season
  3. present — the time now
  4. spring — of water
  5. present — a gift
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. spring — a coil
  8. present — there
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lean — to bend
  11. foot — a measure
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bore — to tire
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lean — thin
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fork — a garden tool

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