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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tube — a container
  5. mug — a face
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. spring — of water
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. scale — in music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. spring — the season
  20. tube — the underground
  21. scale — size or range
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. deal — to handle
  24. scale — for weighing

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