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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mug — a face
  9. spring — the season
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rest — a break
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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