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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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. suit — clothes
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. degree — from a university
  11. spring — the season
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — of water
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rest — what's left
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. degree — temperature
  24. prune — to trim

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