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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rule — government
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. present — there
  6. shower — rain
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. present — the time now
  9. rule — a law
  10. mate — a partner
  11. craft — a skill
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. snap — to click
  15. spring — the season
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mate — to breed
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. present — a gift
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pit — a hole
  23. craft — boats
  24. spring — a coil

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