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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — to fit
  6. lean — thin
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. spring — the season
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. season — of the year
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chest — a box
  19. season — in sport
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chest — of your body

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