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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. object — an aim
  5. spring — the season
  6. cue — for pool
  7. content — happy
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cap — a lid
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. object — to protest
  23. rash — a series
  24. object — a thing

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