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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. ball — a great time
  3. game — wild animals
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. game — a match
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ball — a dance
  9. can — a tin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. can — to be able to
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rash — a series
  22. spring — a coil
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. spring — of water

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