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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. board — to get on
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. suit — clothes
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. spring — the season
  17. board — a committee
  18. last — to go on
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pass — a permit
  21. spring — of water
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. stem — of a plant

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