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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. spring — a coil
  3. suit — in cards
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. craft — a skill
  7. shower — rain
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. suit — to fit
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. capital — money
  15. craft — boats
  16. spring — of water
  17. suit — clothes
  18. spring — the season
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. staff — a stick
  22. shower — to wash
  23. staff — employees
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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