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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spring — of water
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. suit — in cards
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. lie — to recline
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. sharp — clever

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