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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cap — a lid
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cap — a hat
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cap — of ice
  11. roll — a list
  12. spring — a coil
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rock — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. roll — a cake
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ground — the earth
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ground — a position
  24. rock — a stone

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