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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — of water
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ball — a great time
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. charge — in control
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. spring — the season
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. charge — electricity
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. staff — employees
  22. charge — a price
  23. staff — employees
  24. spring — a coil

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