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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.

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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. spell — magic
  3. spring — the season
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. deal — to handle
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spell — letters
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. present — the time now
  12. row — a line
  13. staff — employees
  14. present — there
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — a short time
  17. chest — of your body
  18. present — a gift
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. chest — of your body
  24. staff — a stick

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