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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rock — music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. file — a tool
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. craft — a skill
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fine — all right
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. file — a line of people
  15. deal — to handle
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mug — a cup
  20. file — a document
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mug — a face
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mug — to rob

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