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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. spring — of water
  9. drill — army training
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. last — to go on
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. row — a line
  15. mate — a partner
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. row — to paddle
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. drill — the tool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lie — to recline

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