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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rock — music
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. chest — a box
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. suit — to fit
  24. game — a match

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