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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. plane — a tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bound — obliged
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bound — certain
  14. kick — in football
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — of water
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. spring — the season
  23. can — a tin
  24. leaves — lets stay

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