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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. ground — crushed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ground — a position
  8. spring — of water
  9. prune — to trim
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mate — a partner
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. firm — steady
  15. ground — the earth
  16. spring — the season
  17. mate — a friend
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mate — to breed
  24. current — of water

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