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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rash — a series
  6. spring — the season
  7. mark — a trace
  8. spring — of water
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. staff — employees
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. spring — a coil
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mark — a grade
  17. staff — employees
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mine — an explosive

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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