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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rash — a series
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cap — a lid
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mark — a grade
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bore — to tire
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spring — a coil
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rash — hasty
  24. spring — the season

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