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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lean — thin
  3. spring — of water
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. spring — a coil
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pitch — completely
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fall — the season
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. jam — in traffic

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