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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. shower — rain
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. root — of a word
  9. net — for catching
  10. bore — to tire
  11. net — after costs
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lie — to recline
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. root — the cause
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spring — the season
  18. rush — hurry
  19. root — of a plant
  20. net — in sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bore — to drill
  24. lie — an untruth

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