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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. spring — the season
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spring — of water
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bowl — a football final

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