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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bank — for money
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. court — of a king
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bank — for money
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. spring — the season
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. court — of law
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. spring — of water
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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