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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. club — a group
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — for golf
  7. fine — all right
  8. suit — to fit
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lean — thin
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. spring — the season
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. spring — a coil
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fine — high quality
  18. shower — rain
  19. club — for dancing
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. date — the fruit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lean — to bend

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