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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stock — goods
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mate — to breed
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mate — a friend
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. face — to point toward
  15. spring — the season
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stock — shares
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mate — a partner
  22. face — to confront
  23. cell — in biology
  24. leaves — to go away

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