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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — of water
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. field — for sport
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bore — to drill
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. field — a subject
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ground — a position
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. spring — the season
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. field — farmland
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mug — a face
  24. bowl — to roll

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