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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. roll — a list
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bank — of a river
  6. spring — of water
  7. rest — a break
  8. spring — the season
  9. key — in music
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — what's left
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — for money
  19. game — a match
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. key — for a lock
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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