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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. spring — of water
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fork — in a road
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spring — the season
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. root — of a word
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. root — the cause
  21. spring — a coil
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mine — an explosive

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