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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cold — not warm
  5. spring — of water
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. land — a country
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. spring — a coil
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. season — in sport
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. season — of the year
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spring — the season
  18. land — to come down
  19. cold — an illness
  20. land — ground
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cold — the Cold War

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