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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. can — to be able to
  11. toast — bread
  12. current — of water
  13. rule — government
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rush — hurry
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. rule — a law
  24. racket — for tennis

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