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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. suit — to fit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. suit — in cards
  7. shower — rain
  8. club — a group
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. shower — to wash
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. spring — the season
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. club — for golf
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spring — of water
  24. bowl — a football final

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