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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spring — of water
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. staff — employees
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. shower — rain
  15. staff — a stick
  16. rock — music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. spring — the season
  21. staff — employees
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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