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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. spring — the season
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pit — in a race
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ruler — a monarch

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