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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. firm — decided
  4. spring — of water
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. firm — steady
  8. bound — tied together
  9. present — there
  10. net — in sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. firm — a company
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bound — certain
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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