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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. shower — rain
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. last — final
  5. spring — a coil
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. last — to go on
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. shower — to wash
  11. dip — to sink
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. last — finally
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. spring — of water
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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