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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. lie — to recline
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. plane — a tool
  5. court — of a king
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — of water
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. spring — the season
  12. cell — in biology
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. board — a committee
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. current — electric
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rest — a break
  20. board — to get on
  21. cell — a phone
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. current — happening now
  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