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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. spring — a coil
  18. saw — the tool

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