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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pop — soda
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pop — music
  10. spring — a coil
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rash — a series
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. row — to paddle
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — a hint
  24. season — in sport

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