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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. spring — of water
  3. bound — obliged
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. season — of the year
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. season — in sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. chip — to eat
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. object — a thing
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chip — for betting
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. object — to protest
  24. bound — certain

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