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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. firm — decided
  3. wound — an injury
  4. clip — for paper
  5. firm — a company
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wound — an injury
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bank — for money
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bank — for money
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. firm — steady
  24. safe — out of danger

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