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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. charge — in control
  4. swing — to play on
  5. can — a tin
  6. face — to confront
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. face — to point toward
  10. drill — a practice
  11. face — part of the head
  12. spring — the season
  13. charge — a price
  14. swing — music
  15. mark — a grade
  16. can — a tin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. spring — a coil
  19. charge — electricity
  20. swing — in golf
  21. can — to be able to
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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