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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. content — the amount
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bulb — for light
  12. content — happy
  13. net — after costs
  14. bass — low music
  15. spring — a coil
  16. net — for catching
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rush — hurry
  21. foot — a measure
  22. spring — the season
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rush — to hurry

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