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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. spring — a coil
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. suit — clothes
  6. spring — of water
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. suit — in cards
  11. swing — music
  12. stock — goods
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stock — shares
  17. suit — to fit
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. spring — the season
  24. leaves — to go away

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