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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. spring — of water
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cold — an illness
  10. saw — the tool
  11. press — to push
  12. rush — hurry
  13. band — a ring
  14. press — newspapers
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. band — a music group
  21. press — a publisher
  22. lie — to recline
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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