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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.

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: mark · saw · net · rest · spring · bore · toast · pound

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rest — what's left
  3. net — in sport
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spring — the season
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rest — a break
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. net — for catching
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. net — after costs
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pound — a weight
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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