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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. land — ground
  7. press — to push
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. tube — the underground
  11. deal — to handle
  12. press — a publisher
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. spring — the season
  16. craft — a skill
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mate — a friend
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. spring — of water
  22. press — newspapers
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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