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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. present — there
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. object — to protest
  9. spring — of water
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mug — a face
  19. present — the time now
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. present — a gift

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