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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. pop — music
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rest — what's left
  10. game — wild animals
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pop — soda
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. game — a match
  21. rest — a break
  22. spring — a coil
  23. snap — to click
  24. pop — to visit

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