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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. ground — a position
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. ground — the earth
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fork — in a road
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rule — government
  13. spring — the season
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rule — a law
  18. ground — crushed
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. foot — a measure
  23. lean — thin
  24. suit — to fit

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