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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bound — obliged
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spring — of water
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. file — a document
  9. rock — music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spring — a coil
  16. file — a line of people
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bound — certain
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. file — a tool
  24. spell — letters

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