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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. craft — a skill
  3. tube — a container
  4. row — a line
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. craft — boats
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. spring — the season
  17. tube — the underground
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. spring — of water
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chair — a leader

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