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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spring — the season
  8. sharp — clever
  9. spring — a coil
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. root — the cause
  21. lie — to recline
  22. root — of a word
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. game — a match

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