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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: toast · lie · rock · season · ball · bear · spring · bore

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. spring — of water
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rock — music
  5. bore — to drill
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. season — of the year
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bear — the animal
  13. toast — bread
  14. season — in sport
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spring — the season
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rock — a stone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lie — to recline

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