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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bulb — for light
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spring — the season
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spring — of water
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cold — an illness
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lean — thin

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