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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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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spring — of water
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. field — farmland
  17. mug — a face
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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