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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bore — to tire
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. spring — the season
  6. band — a ring
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. spring — of water
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bore — to drill
  15. band — a music group
  16. key — in music
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cap — a hat
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cap — of ice
  22. key — the most important part
  23. foot — a measure
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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