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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. object — to protest
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. spring — a coil
  9. object — a thing
  10. cue — a signal
  11. shower — rain
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rest — a break
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rest — what's left
  22. object — an aim
  23. stand — to bear
  24. shower — to wash

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