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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. row — to paddle
  3. spring — the season
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. row — a line
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bound — obliged
  10. spring — of water
  11. bound — certain
  12. kick — in football
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. ball — a dance
  19. plane — a tool
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ball — a great time
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ball — a round shape

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