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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. can — a tin
  4. band — a ring
  5. season — in sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. band — a music group
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. season — of the year
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. spring — the season
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rush — hurry
  21. spring — of water
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mine — for digging

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