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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spring — a coil
  5. drill — army training
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. present — a gift
  22. spring — the season
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cabinet — ministers

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