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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. present — the time now
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — the season
  13. snap — to click
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. saw — the tool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. suit — in cards
  19. present — a gift
  20. saw — the tool
  21. suit — clothes
  22. present — there
  23. suit — to fit
  24. hide — animal skin

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