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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spring — a coil
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cap — a lid
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cap — a hat
  8. degree — temperature
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. degree — an amount
  11. spring — of water
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — the season
  14. cap — of ice
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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