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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. spring — of water
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wax — to grow
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. hand — help
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mug — a face
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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