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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mate — to breed
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mate — a friend
  9. suit — clothes
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spring — the season
  12. charge — electricity
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wake — a trail
  17. press — to push
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. press — newspapers
  22. deal — to handle
  23. press — a publisher
  24. spring — of water

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