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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — certain
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cap — a lid
  5. track — a song
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spring — the season
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. season — of the year
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. track — a path
  16. season — in sport
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cap — a hat
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cap — of ice
  24. lash — to lash out

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