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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. squash — the sport
  5. roll — a cake
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. chip — for betting
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spring — a coil
  14. roll — a list
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lie — to recline
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — of water
  24. lie — an untruth

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