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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ball — a dance
  6. spring — the season
  7. club — a group
  8. spring — of water
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ball — a great time
  19. club — for golf
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bore — to tire
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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