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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spell — a short time
  4. track — to keep track
  5. spell — magic
  6. spring — of water
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. track — a song
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. charge — a price
  15. spring — the season
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. charge — electricity
  21. spell — letters
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. charge — in control
  24. deal — a big deal

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