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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rest — what's left
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. squash — the sport
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spring — of water
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — the season
  15. bass — low music
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bass — the fish
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rest — a break
  24. squash — the vegetable

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