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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. spring — of water
  6. scale — size or range
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rock — music
  13. scale — in music
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spring — a coil
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. foot — a measure
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hand — help
  24. calf — a young animal

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