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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. staff — employees
  6. court — for sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spring — the season
  9. file — a tool
  10. court — of law
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spring — of water
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. staff — employees
  20. court — of a king
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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