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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 124 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cap — a lid
  7. firm — steady
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. firm — decided
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bore — to tire
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. firm — a company
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. hide — to keep secret

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