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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. present — the time now
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. spring — of water
  10. present — there
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stem — to come from
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. spring — the season
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pass — a permit

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