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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.

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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. spring — the season
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. firm — decided
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. shower — rain
  8. spring — of water
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. field — farmland
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. shower — to wash
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. firm — a company
  19. charge — a price
  20. firm — steady
  21. chair — a leader
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. spring — a coil

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