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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: rock · hand · bore · track · drill · spring · mug · stick

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rock — a stone
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. spring — the season
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mug — a face
  11. track — a song
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mug — to rob
  14. hand — help
  15. spring — of water
  16. track — a path
  17. drill — army training
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. spring — a coil
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mug — a cup

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