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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: rest · spring · capital · hide · jam · foot · bore · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. capital — money
  8. spring — of water
  9. foot — a measure
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spring — the season
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rest — a break
  16. spring — a coil
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bore — to tire
  19. capital — a city
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rest — what's left

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