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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 116 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. net — after costs
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pop — soda
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pop — to visit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. net — for catching
  17. lean — thin
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pop — music
  20. net — in sport
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rush — a thrill

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