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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. object — an aim
  3. spring — of water
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pop — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bass — low music
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bass — the fish
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pop — soda
  19. mate — a partner
  20. object — to protest
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fall — the season
  23. object — a thing
  24. bowl — to roll

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