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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. spring — the season
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. present — there
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. foot — a measure
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. present — the time now
  17. stock — goods
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bark — to shout
  20. present — a gift
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stock — shares
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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