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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bank — for money
  4. staff — employees
  5. root — of a word
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rest — what's left
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. spring — a coil
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pit — a hole
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — a break
  18. bank — of a river
  19. root — the cause
  20. pit — in a race
  21. spring — the season
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rest — what's left

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