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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spring — of water
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spring — the season
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ball — a great time
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging

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