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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lean — to bend
  3. present — a gift
  4. row — a line
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. key — in music
  8. spring — the season
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lean — thin
  13. spring — a coil
  14. present — the time now
  15. cue — a hint
  16. key — the most important part
  17. row — to paddle
  18. charge — a price
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. present — there
  24. row — a quarrel

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