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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. spring — the season
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stem — to come from
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rock — music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — of water
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. game — a match

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