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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. roll — a cake
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ball — a great time
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — the season
  14. roll — a list
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. swing — music
  19. spring — a coil
  20. swing — in golf
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. swing — to play on
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. ruler — for measuring

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