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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. spring — of water
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pop — soda
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mug — a face
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. spring — the season
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pop — music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wake — a trail
  24. temple — a place of worship

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