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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rash — a series
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rash — hasty
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. face — to confront
  12. spring — the season
  13. court — of law
  14. mug — to rob
  15. court — of a king
  16. spring — of water
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mug — a face
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — a cup
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. court — for sport

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