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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rest — what's left
  5. key — the most important part
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ball — a dance
  10. key — in music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. can — a tin
  17. spring — of water
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rest — a break
  20. hand — help
  21. key — for a lock
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. can — to be able to

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