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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. staff — employees
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. land — to come down
  9. bulb — for light
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. staff — employees
  12. land — a country
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spring — a coil
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spring — of water
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. land — ground

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