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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rock — a stone
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. kid — child
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rock — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. object — to protest
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. ruler — for measuring

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