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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 116 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. season — in sport
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. season — of the year
  7. tear — from crying
  8. firm — decided
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spring — a coil
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. tear — to rip
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. snap — to click
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tear — from crying

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