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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rock — music
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fine — all right
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. march — the month
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. march — the month
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fine — high quality
  16. game — a match
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. march — music
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spring — of water

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