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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mark — a grade
  4. spring — of water
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. key — for a lock
  9. craft — boats
  10. key — in music
  11. spring — the season
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bound — certain
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mark — a trace
  24. racket — for tennis

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