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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spring — a coil
  4. court — for sport
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. race — humankind
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wind — moving air
  9. court — of a king
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spring — the season
  12. mate — to breed
  13. court — of law
  14. mate — a friend
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. can — a tin
  18. rock — music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. race — a contest
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — of water
  24. wind — moving air

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