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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. season — of the year
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. firm — a company
  8. spring — a coil
  9. tube — a container
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. shower — rain
  14. season — in sport
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pass — a permit
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. firm — decided
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. court — for sport
  23. spring — the season
  24. firm — steady

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