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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. present — there
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rule — a law
  10. band — a ring
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. present — the time now
  14. spring — of water
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. key — the most important part
  20. band — a music group
  21. rule — government
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. key — in music
  24. present — a gift

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