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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. toast — bread
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. season — of the year
  10. net — for catching
  11. spring — of water
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. net — after costs
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. charge — in control
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — a price
  24. net — in sport

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