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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. spring — the season
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — part of the head
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to confront
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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