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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. ball — a great time
  3. spring — of water
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. race — the arms race
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. present — the time now
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. race — a contest
  13. ball — a dance
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. spring — the season
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. present — a gift
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. race — humankind
  22. present — there
  23. roll — a cake
  24. nail — for a hammer

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