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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. season — of the year
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rule — government
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ball — a great time
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. season — in sport
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. game — a match
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. spring — of water
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lean — thin
  23. rule — a law
  24. spring — the season

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