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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. ground — crushed
  3. object — to protest
  4. mate — a friend
  5. object — a thing
  6. spring — the season
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. ground — a position
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mate — to breed
  13. toast — bread
  14. object — an aim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mate — a partner
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ruler — for measuring

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