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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. last — final
  4. spring — of water
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. suit — in cards
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. last — finally
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. firm — steady
  11. last — to go on
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. spring — a coil
  16. suit — to fit
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. firm — a company
  20. mine — for digging
  21. firm — decided
  22. suit — clothes
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. hand — help

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