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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fall — the season
  3. spring — the season
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. present — the time now
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. present — there
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spring — of water
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bound — certain
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. present — a gift
  20. root — of a word
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. root — the cause
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bowl — to roll

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