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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. land — ground
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spring — a coil
  9. land — to come down
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spring — the season
  12. branch — a division
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. land — a country
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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