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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. key — in music
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. spell — magic
  8. stem — to come from
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. spring — of water
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. spring — the season
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tube — a container
  22. ball — a dance
  23. spell — letters
  24. wake — a trail

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