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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. tube — the underground
  5. lie — to recline
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. press — a publisher
  8. tube — a container
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mate — a partner
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. press — to push
  17. chip — to eat
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spring — of water
  21. chip — for betting
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. date — the fruit

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