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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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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. track — a song
  3. march — the month
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. spring — the season
  8. can — to be able to
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. can — a tin
  13. track — to keep track
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. track — a path
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. can — a tin

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