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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: rush · spring · ground · cap · present · mate · bay · bore

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. cap — a lid
  3. spring — of water
  4. bore — to drill
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ground — the earth
  18. present — there
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mate — a partner
  21. spring — the season
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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