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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. swing — to play on
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. spring — of water

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