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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mark — a grade
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chest — a box
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. spring — a coil
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. date — the fruit
  24. spring — of water

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