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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · firm · leaves · press · bore · dip · track · shower

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. track — a path
  4. press — to push
  5. shower — rain
  6. track — to keep track
  7. firm — a company
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. spring — of water
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bore — to drill
  13. dip — to sink
  14. spring — the season
  15. bore — to tire
  16. firm — decided
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. firm — steady
  23. shower — to wash
  24. track — a song

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