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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: sharp · spring · clip · cabinet · rule · mate · mouse · season

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — of water
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rule — a law
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. clip — a video
  7. rule — government
  8. clip — to cut
  9. season — in sport
  10. spring — a coil
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spring — the season
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. season — of the year

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