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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spring — of water
  7. mark — a grade
  8. net — in sport
  9. pass — a permit
  10. net — for catching
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. net — after costs

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