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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spring — a coil
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. band — a music group
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. club — a group
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. club — for dancing
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. club — for golf
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spring — of water
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. band — a ring
  24. saw — the tool

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