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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ball — a dance
  4. spring — a coil
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spring — of water
  9. last — final
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. last — finally
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spring — the season
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. tube — a container
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. last — to go on
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. object — to protest
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fork — in a road

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