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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. suit — to fit
  3. snap — to click
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. band — a ring
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. race — a contest
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. race — the arms race
  14. band — a music group
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. race — humankind
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. suit — clothes
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pitch — completely

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