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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. present — the time now
  4. spring — the season
  5. track — a path
  6. spring — of water
  7. fall — to drop
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wax — to grow
  10. object — an aim
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. object — to protest
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fall — to drop
  18. present — a gift
  19. fall — the season
  20. present — there
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pit — in a race
  23. object — a thing
  24. wax — for sculpting

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