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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 124 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. perch — the fish
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rock — a stone
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rock — music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. suit — clothes

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