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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bat — the animal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. squash — to crush
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spring — the season
  12. mug — a face
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lie — to recline
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. spring — of water
  19. mug — to rob
  20. squash — the sport
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. deal — to handle

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