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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. season — of the year
  3. ground — crushed
  4. spring — of water
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. spring — a coil
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — in sport
  13. spring — the season
  14. squash — the sport
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. firm — decided
  17. ground — a position
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. firm — a company
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. firm — steady

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