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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bass — low music
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spring — the season
  6. cap — of ice
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. board — a committee
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cap — a lid
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bass — the fish
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. spring — of water
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mate — a partner
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — to get on
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mate — to breed
  24. leaves — to go away

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