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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · mine · bore · wind · spring · suit · hide · lie

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bore — to tire
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mine — for digging
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. suit — clothes
  17. lie — to recline
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wind — moving air
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. spring — of water
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wind — moving air

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