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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wake — a trail
  4. season — of the year
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ball — a dance
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. ball — a great time
  15. object — an aim
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. toast — bread
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. spring — of water
  24. season — in sport

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