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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. spring — the season
  5. root — the cause
  6. spring — of water
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mine — for digging
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rest — a break
  13. root — of a word
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — a committee
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. sharp — clever
  24. board — to get on

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