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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. spring — a coil
  3. chair — a leader
  4. spring — the season
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. spring — of water
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spell — magic
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bound — certain
  12. spell — a short time
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — letters
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rush — to hurry

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