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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. firm — steady
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. spring — a coil
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cap — a hat
  12. firm — a company
  13. spring — the season
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cap — a lid
  16. firm — decided
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. kid — child
  20. key — in music
  21. bore — to tire
  22. kid — to tease
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bore — to drill

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