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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. spring — of water
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spring — a coil
  14. drill — a practice
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. drill — army training
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. spring — the season
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wake — a trail

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