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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. spring — a coil
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kick — in football
  8. mug — a face
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cell — a phone
  13. root — the cause
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cell — in biology
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. kick — a thrill

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