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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mate — a friend
  6. race — a contest
  7. mate — to breed
  8. race — the arms race
  9. spring — a coil
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. firm — steady
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. spring — of water
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. firm — a company
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. race — humankind
  23. firm — decided
  24. prune — to trim

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