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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. hand — help
  7. current — happening now
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. hand — in cards
  11. spring — a coil
  12. current — electric
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. spring — the season
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. race — the arms race
  17. spell — magic
  18. race — humankind
  19. spell — letters
  20. race — a contest
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. current — of water
  24. fan — to cool the air

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