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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: game · date · bore · lie · spell · cue · cabinet · spring

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spell — magic
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. spell — letters
  10. spring — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bore — to tire
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cue — a hint
  17. game — a match
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spring — the season
  23. cue — a signal
  24. spring — a coil

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