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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rock — music
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wake — a trail
  9. current — happening now
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. current — of water
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. current — electric
  18. spring — of water
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. craft — boats
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wake — before a funeral

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