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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. spring — a coil
  4. swing — in golf
  5. toast — bread
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. swing — music
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spring — the season
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pound — a weight
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. toast — the most admired

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