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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rest — what's left
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. spell — magic
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. spell — letters
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — the season
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rest — a break
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. spell — a short time

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