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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rash — hasty
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rash — a series
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spring — the season
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. last — final
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. last — to go on
  14. firm — steady
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. last — finally
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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