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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.

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: drill · bore · spring · mug · jam · bay · hide · club

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. bore — to tire
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. spring — the season
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. spring — a coil
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. spring — of water
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. drill — the tool
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. club — a group
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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