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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: mouse · spring · cue · can · bore · foot · wound · bass

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. spring — the season
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — of water
  7. cue — for pool
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bass — the fish
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. can — a tin
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bass — low music
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bass — the instrument

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