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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.

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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. spring — of water
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. staff — employees
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. object — an aim
  8. kick — in football
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. ball — a great time
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. object — to protest
  16. plane — a tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spring — the season
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. staff — a stick
  24. ball — a round shape

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