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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. spring — the season
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. press — newspapers
  6. deal — to handle
  7. object — to protest
  8. last — to go on
  9. press — a publisher
  10. last — finally
  11. fork — in a road
  12. object — a thing
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. press — to push
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. last — final
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. spring — of water
  23. mine — for digging
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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