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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. game — a match
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. object — to protest
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. present — there
  11. spring — the season
  12. present — a gift
  13. object — a thing
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mark — a trace
  17. object — an aim
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. spring — of water
  21. present — the time now
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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