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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spring — a coil
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. firm — decided
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mine — for digging
  8. squash — the sport
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. key — in music
  12. spring — of water
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. firm — steady
  15. squash — to crush
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. present — the time now
  21. firm — a company
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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