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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: pass · lean · mug · spring · shower · ball · game · craft

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. spring — of water
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mug — a face
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. craft — boats
  10. mug — to rob
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. shower — rain
  13. ball — a dance
  14. spring — a coil
  15. game — a match
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lean — thin
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. spring — the season
  24. mug — a cup

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