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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.

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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: bore · hide · rash · lean · sharp · suit · wound · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rash — a series
  3. suit — to fit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spring — the season
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bore — to tire
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bore — to drill
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lean — thin
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spring — a coil
  24. sharp — clever

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