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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. charge — a price
  3. spring — of water
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — in music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. swing — music
  16. cap — a hat
  17. key — the most important part
  18. charge — in control
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. charge — electricity
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. spring — the season

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