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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. spring — of water
  5. pop — soda
  6. rush — hurry
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bore — to tire
  11. spring — the season
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mug — a face
  24. dip — to sink

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