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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pit — in a race
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. object — an aim
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. spring — of water
  10. object — a thing
  11. spell — a short time
  12. net — for catching
  13. spring — the season
  14. cell — in biology
  15. spell — magic
  16. net — after costs
  17. pit — a hole
  18. net — in sport
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. spell — letters
  22. press — a publisher
  23. object — to protest
  24. cell — a phone

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