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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. spring — a coil
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. spring — of water
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. staff — employees

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