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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · cold · stand · pass · ball · mouse · spring · mark

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mark — a trace
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. spring — the season
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cold — not warm
  15. spring — of water
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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