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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. last — finally
  3. spring — a coil
  4. swing — music
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. swing — in golf
  7. last — to go on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spring — the season
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spring — of water
  16. bore — to tire
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stock — shares
  20. last — final
  21. bore — to drill
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cue — a hint

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