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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. root — the cause
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mug — a face
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spring — of water
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lean — to bend
  14. spring — a coil
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lean — thin
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. season — in sport
  21. spring — the season
  22. root — of a word
  23. staff — employees
  24. mug — a cup

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