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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. file — a line of people
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. file — a document
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. file — a tool
  8. spring — the season
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. bass — low music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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