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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cue — a signal
  4. spring — of water
  5. mug — a cup
  6. key — for a lock
  7. present — a gift
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spring — the season
  10. key — in music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cue — a hint
  14. march — music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. present — there
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. march — the month
  19. key — the most important part
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — to rob
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mug — a face
  24. plane — in geometry

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