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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spring — of water
  5. band — a music group
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rest — what's left
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. band — a ring
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. race — humankind
  14. snap — to click
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. race — a contest
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. deal — to handle
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spring — the season
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. race — the arms race
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bowl — to roll

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