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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. swing — music
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ball — a dance
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. sharp — clever
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bore — to drill
  13. ball — a great time
  14. spring — of water
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spring — a coil
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. swing — to play on

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