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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. season — in sport
  9. spring — the season
  10. season — of the year
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. suit — clothes
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cell — a phone
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. prune — to trim
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cell — in biology
  21. spring — of water
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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