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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. tear — to rip
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. spring — of water
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spring — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fall — the season
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying

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