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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. spring — of water
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rest — a break
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. spring — the season
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mug — a face
  9. row — a line
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. row — to paddle
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fine — all right
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — high quality
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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