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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 120 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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Word bank
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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. suit — in cards
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — the season
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. spring — of water
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cold — not warm
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cold — an illness
  22. spring — a coil
  23. suit — to fit
  24. safe — out of danger

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