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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spring — the season
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lie — to recline
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pass — a permit
  12. land — to come down
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spring — of water
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bowl — a football final

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