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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. charge — in control
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mate — a partner
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. track — a path
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spring — of water

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