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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. field — a subject
  3. file — a document
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pass — a permit
  12. file — a tool
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. field — for sport
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. field — farmland
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. dip — to sink
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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