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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. current — happening now
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. club — a group
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bore — to drill
  11. current — of water
  12. mark — a grade
  13. club — for golf
  14. current — electric
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. club — for dancing
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. season — of the year
  22. bore — to tire
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. season — in sport

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