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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. firm — a company
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fall — the season
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. firm — steady
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. firm — decided
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spring — of water
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — the season
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. coach — a trainer

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