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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: spring · bear · sharp · coach · bore · hide · spell · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. spell — magic
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bore — to tire
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spring — of water
  12. sharp — clever
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bear — the animal
  15. race — humankind
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spring — the season
  18. bore — to drill
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spell — letters
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. spring — a coil

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