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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stand — to bear
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. club — a group
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bulb — for light
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. club — for golf
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. spring — the season
  22. club — for dancing
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — an untruth

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