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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ball — a great time
  9. spring — of water
  10. mug — a face
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — the season
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. spring — a coil
  19. ball — a dance
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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