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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rash — a series
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. spring — the season
  8. bulb — for light
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cue — a hint
  11. game — a match
  12. rash — hasty
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. press — to push
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. game — wild animals
  20. spring — a coil
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bulb — for light

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