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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cold — not warm
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. object — a thing
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cold — an illness
  11. mate — a friend
  12. spring — of water
  13. object — to protest
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fine — all right
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. present — a gift
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. object — an aim
  21. spring — the season
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. fine — a penalty

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