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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. craft — boats
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. craft — a skill
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. dip — to sink
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bulb — for light

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