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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. branch — a division
  13. spring — the season
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spring — of water
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — the time now
  24. branch — 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