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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. swing — music
  8. cell — a phone
  9. spell — magic
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spell — a short time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — the season
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. key — in music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — letters
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cell — in a prison

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