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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. mug — to rob
  4. file — a tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. track — a path
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stand — to bear
  9. file — a document
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mug — a cup
  14. file — a line of people
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bore — to drill
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mug — a face

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