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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: mate · snap · bore · spring · staff · file · club · suit

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bore — to tire
  7. snap — to click
  8. mate — to breed
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mate — a friend
  12. club — a group
  13. staff — a stick
  14. suit — to fit
  15. staff — employees
  16. file — a document
  17. staff — employees
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. club — for dancing
  20. suit — in cards
  21. spring — the season
  22. suit — clothes
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. club — for golf

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