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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 · chest · spell · drill · bore · can · spring · roll

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bore — to drill
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. chest — of your body
  9. drill — army training
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spring — of water
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. can — to be able to
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. spell — letters
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. chest — a box
  21. spell — magic
  22. spring — the season
  23. chest — of your body
  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