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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spring — the season
  4. bore — to tire
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bore — to drill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. suit — clothes
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. suit — in cards
  15. face — to point toward
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. face — to confront
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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