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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rule — government
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mate — a partner
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mate — to breed
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mate — a friend
  13. season — in sport
  14. spring — the season
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. suit — to fit
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. spring — of water
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. season — of the year
  23. rule — a law
  24. wave — with your hand

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