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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.

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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. present — the time now
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. object — to protest
  7. present — there
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. present — a gift
  12. spring — the season
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. scale — in music
  15. spring — of water
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. arm — a part of something

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