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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. scale — size or range
  3. spring — of water
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spring — the season
  10. scale — in music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ground — crushed
  14. toast — bread
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spring — a coil
  24. toast — the most admired

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