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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 116 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. spring — the season
  3. present — a gift
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. staff — a stick
  7. spring — of water
  8. present — there
  9. ball — a great time
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. present — the time now
  20. staff — employees
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ruler — a monarch

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