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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. spring — a coil
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. stock — goods
  12. club — for golf
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — a lid
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. club — a group
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rush — hurry
  20. club — for dancing
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stock — shares

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