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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spring — of water
  4. rash — a series
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fine — all right
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rash — hasty
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mug — a face
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rest — a break
  24. pass — to succeed

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