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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: leaves · spring · temple · bore · season · rest · bat · cabinet

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bore — to tire
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. spring — the season
  17. rest — a break
  18. spring — of water
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. season — in sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cabinet — ministers

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