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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pass — a permit
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. present — there
  12. spring — a coil
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. present — a gift
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. present — the time now
  22. spring — the season
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mouse — the animal

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