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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 124 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pop — soda
  5. rest — a break
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bound — certain
  14. pop — music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. swing — music
  18. cue — a hint
  19. swing — in golf
  20. spring — of water
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wake — a trail

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