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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. staff — employees
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. current — happening now
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. staff — employees
  16. current — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. mine — for digging
  19. current — electric
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spring — a coil
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fine — all right
  24. staff — a stick

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