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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. firm — steady
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. roll — a list
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. spring — of water
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. firm — a company
  16. cold — an illness
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. firm — decided
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. roll — a cake
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spring — the season

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