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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. land — ground
  4. spring — of water
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. snap — to click
  11. mine — for digging
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. craft — a skill
  14. land — to come down
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. land — a country
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. spring — the season
  24. suit — to fit

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