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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — to get on
  5. saw — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. firm — steady
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. board — a committee
  13. firm — a company
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spring — the season
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spring — a coil
  18. firm — decided
  19. file — a document
  20. saw — the tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. file — a tool
  24. temple — side of the head

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