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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. spring — of water
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. chest — a box
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. spring — a coil
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. spring — the season
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. deal — a big deal

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