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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spring — of water
  6. ball — a great time
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. craft — a skill
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rule — a law
  12. bound — certain
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. bound — tied together
  16. sharp — clever
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. craft — boats
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. spring — the season
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. craft — a handicraft

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