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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 116 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cue — a hint
  4. spring — a coil
  5. net — after costs
  6. cue — a signal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. net — for catching
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. band — a ring
  13. net — in sport
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cue — for pool
  18. spring — the season
  19. band — a music group
  20. scale — in music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. saw — the tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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