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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 124 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — tied together
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — certain
  23. rest — a break
  24. deal — a big deal

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