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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
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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: sharp · spell · rash · saw · spring · lie · track · bore

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spell — letters
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bore — to drill
  5. spell — a short time
  6. track — a path
  7. spell — magic
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. spring — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bore — to tire
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. track — a song
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lie — to recline
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spring — the season

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