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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stand — to bear
  7. perch — the fish
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. spring — of water
  15. mug — a face
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spring — the season
  20. object — a thing
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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