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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mug — a cup
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rest — a break
  7. cap — of ice
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rest — what's left
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. mug — a face
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mug — to rob
  18. spring — the season
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cap — a hat
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. cap — a lid

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