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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: snap · rest · bore · perch · cue · mine · spring · charge

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. spring — of water
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cue — a signal
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. charge — a price
  7. bore — to drill
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mine — for digging
  10. spring — the season
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. snap — to click
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rest — a break
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cue — a hint
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  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