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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. spring — the season
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. spring — of water
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lean — to bend
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stand — on your feet

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