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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. spring — of water
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. object — to protest
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mine — for digging
  13. object — an aim
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. spring — a coil
  16. craft — a skill
  17. spring — the season
  18. craft — boats
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. kick — in football
  22. object — a thing
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. saw — the tool

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