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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wake — a trail
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spring — the season
  10. chest — a box
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spring — of water
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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