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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. can — to be able to
  3. hand — in cards
  4. spring — the season
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. hand — help
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. suit — in cards
  10. can — a tin
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rush — hurry
  13. spring — of water
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. can — a tin
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. land — ground
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. suit — clothes

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