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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rash — a series
  4. tube — the underground
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. season — in sport
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. spring — of water
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spring — the season
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. toast — bread
  22. tube — a container
  23. rash — hasty
  24. toast — the most admired

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