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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. object — an aim
  4. track — to keep track
  5. degree — an amount
  6. object — to protest
  7. mate — a friend
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. toast — bread
  11. object — a thing
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. spring — of water
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. degree — from a university
  24. wave — of the sea

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