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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spring — of water
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. saw — the tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. last — finally
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. last — final
  9. lean — to bend
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ball — a great time
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spring — the season
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lean — thin
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rush — hurry
  23. spring — a coil
  24. last — to go 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