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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cold — an illness
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. object — an aim
  8. bank — of a river
  9. spring — of water
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bank — for money
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bore — to tire
  17. object — a thing
  18. bank — for money
  19. object — to protest
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. spring — the season
  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