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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spell — a short time
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spell — magic
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rock — music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. spring — of water
  13. mate — a friend
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rock — a stone
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mark — a trace
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spell — letters
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mate — a partner

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