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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. file — a tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mug — to rob
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bore — to drill
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. spring — the season
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mug — a cup
  22. file — a document
  23. spring — of water
  24. mug — a face

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