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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. spring — of water
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spring — the season
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mug — a face
  21. mate — to breed
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bulb — for light
  24. nail — on a finger

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