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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 120 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cold — not warm
  13. squash — to crush
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — an illness
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — a coil
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bulb — of a plant

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