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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bat — the animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. last — to go on
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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