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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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Word bank
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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spring — the season
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. scale — size or range
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. scale — in music
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. saw — the tool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bark — of a tree

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