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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.

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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. cue — a hint
  3. scale — in music
  4. kick — in football
  5. scale — size or range
  6. spring — the season
  7. cue — a signal
  8. last — finally
  9. spring — of water
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cue — for pool
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rest — what's left
  20. last — final
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rest — a break
  23. last — to go on
  24. bay — a horse colour

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