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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cue — a signal
  3. spring — of water
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — a series
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rash — hasty
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rush — hurry
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. scale — in music

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