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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spring — a coil
  7. row — to paddle
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. spring — of water
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — an aim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. object — a thing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. row — a line
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. branch — a division
  24. object — to protest

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