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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. spring — the season
  10. pop — to visit
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mug — a face
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spring — of water
  15. fine — all right
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pop — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pop — soda
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rock — music
  23. mug — a cup
  24. coach — a trainer

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