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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. club — for dancing
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bat — the animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. club — for golf
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. club — a group
  21. spring — of water
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. suit — to fit
  24. safe — out of danger

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