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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spring — the season
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. staff — employees
  10. mug — a cup
  11. track — a song
  12. band — a ring
  13. track — to keep track
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. track — a path
  17. mug — a face
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. staff — a stick
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. staff — employees
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pitch — completely
  24. band — a music group

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