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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. spring — the season
  8. stand — to bear
  9. spring — of water
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. content — happy
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. shower — rain
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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