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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rock — a stone
  3. present — the time now
  4. lean — thin
  5. present — there
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. last — final
  9. track — a path
  10. rock — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lean — to bend
  13. track — a song
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. last — to go on
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. present — a gift
  21. spring — of water
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. last — finally
  24. spring — a coil

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