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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. cold — not warm
  3. present — a gift
  4. kick — in football
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spring — of water
  7. mark — a grade
  8. object — an aim
  9. cold — an illness
  10. object — to protest
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. present — the time now
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stock — goods
  18. spring — the season
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. present — there
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. object — a thing
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stock — shares

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