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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.

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: hide · content · trunk · cabinet · wind · pop · bore · spring

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. spring — the season
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bore — to tire
  5. content — the amount
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wind — moving air
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wind — moving air
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spring — of water
  20. pop — soda
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pop — music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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