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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.

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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: ball · rest · clip · bay · saw · ruler · leaves · spring

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. spring — the season
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ball — a great time
  17. clip — to cut
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spring — of water
  21. rest — a break
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. ball — a round shape

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