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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. staff — employees
  13. key — the most important part
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spring — the season
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. key — in music
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fork — in a road
  21. spring — of water
  22. staff — employees
  23. spring — a coil
  24. safe — a strongbox

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