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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lie — to recline
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. season — in sport
  7. spring — of water
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. spring — the season
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. shower — to wash
  17. suit — to fit
  18. spring — a coil
  19. shower — rain
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bore — to drill
  24. season — of the year

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