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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. suit — clothes
  3. game — wild animals
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. suit — to fit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. court — of law
  22. spring — the season
  23. suit — in cards
  24. craft — a handicraft

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