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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lean — thin
  3. craft — a skill
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. craft — boats
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spring — the season
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rush — hurry
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. spring — of water
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. club — a group

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