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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spring — of water
  6. cap — a lid
  7. club — for golf
  8. root — of a word
  9. club — a group
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. suit — clothes
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. root — of a plant
  18. club — for dancing
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cap — a hat
  21. spring — the season
  22. root — the cause
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. suit — in cards

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