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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. spring — the season
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. track — a path
  10. spring — a coil
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. track — a song
  13. pit — in a race
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wake — before a funeral

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