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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 120 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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. ball — a dance
  3. spring — of water
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. spring — a coil
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. drill — the tool
  13. object — an aim
  14. pound — a weight
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. drill — army training
  17. ball — a great time
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. prune — to trim
  23. drill — a practice
  24. temple — side of the head

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