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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. season — of the year
  5. cap — of ice
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. track — a song
  8. lean — thin
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. track — a path
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cap — a hat
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. season — in sport
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spring — the season
  18. mate — a partner
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. spring — of water
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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