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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 120 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: spring · season · stand · bore · wind · game · can · deal

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. season — in sport
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. season — of the year
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. can — a tin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. spring — a coil
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. can — a tin
  12. spring — the season
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bore — to tire
  15. spring — of water
  16. game — wild animals
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. game — a match
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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