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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fall — to drop
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fall — the season
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rash — a series
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rash — hasty
  24. sharp — clever

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