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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — of the year
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bore — to tire
  20. season — in sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rush — hurry

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