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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rock — music
  5. season — of the year
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — music
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. tube — a container
  14. march — the month
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. chair — a leader
  18. tube — the underground
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rock — a stone
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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