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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
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: lean · spring · row · capital · rule · safe · drill · bore

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rule — a law
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. spring — of water
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. spring — a coil
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. drill — army training
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. drill — a practice
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lean — thin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — the season

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