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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. spring — of water
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. spring — a coil
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. hand — help
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wind — moving air
  24. spring — the season

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