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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 124 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fall — the season
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. scale — in music
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rush — hurry
  13. ground — a position
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spring — a coil
  18. current — electric
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spring — of water
  22. scale — size or range
  23. spring — the season
  24. bore — to drill

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