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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. deal — to handle
  3. degree — temperature
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fall — to drop
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. spring — of water
  8. fall — the season
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — from a university
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. last — finally
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. degree — an amount
  17. spring — the season
  18. last — to go on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. last — final
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cabinet — ministers

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