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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spring — of water
  3. foot — a measure
  4. present — the time now
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spring — the season
  9. ball — a great time
  10. present — there
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spring — a coil
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. present — a gift
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ball — a dance
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bowl — to roll

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