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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. present — the time now
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. hand — help
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rock — a stone
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cap — a hat
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hand — in cards
  13. present — there
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rock — music
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. present — a gift
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. spring — a coil
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. spring — of water
  24. cap — a lid

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