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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 116 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: club · saw · spring · bore · lean · squash · fan · kid

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lean — thin
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. spring — of water
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spring — the season
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. squash — to crush
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bore — to drill
  15. kid — child
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bore — to tire
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. saw — the tool

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