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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bound — certain
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. kick — in football
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bark — to shout
  11. swing — in golf
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. ball — a dance

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