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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — of water
  12. lean — to bend
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mate — a partner
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lean — thin
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — the season
  24. safe — a strongbox

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