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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. spring — the season
  5. land — a country
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stock — goods
  10. spring — a coil
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. land — to come down
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stock — shares
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. land — ground
  22. cue — for pool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. row — a line

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