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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mate — a friend
  4. spring — of water
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. spell — a short time
  10. band — a music group
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ball — a dance
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. band — a ring
  18. spell — letters
  19. tube — a container
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. spell — magic
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ball — a great time
  24. staff — employees

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