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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fine · spell · season · bore · can · drill · spring

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fine — all right
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. spring — a coil
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. spring — of water
  9. spell — magic
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spring — the season
  12. fine — high quality
  13. can — a tin
  14. spell — a short time
  15. season — in sport
  16. bore — to drill
  17. season — of the year
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bore — to tire
  22. spell — letters
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. drill — army training

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