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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lean — to bend
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ball — a great time
  6. present — there
  7. spring — of water
  8. cap — of ice
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spring — the season
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lean — thin
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ball — a dance
  15. suit — to fit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. present — the time now
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cap — a hat

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