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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. staff — employees
  5. cap — a hat
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. staff — employees
  8. cap — of ice
  9. spring — of water
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kick — in football
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ground — a position
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. staff — a stick
  24. ground — the earth

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