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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bulb — for light
  3. net — in sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. craft — a skill
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — to come down
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. land — ground
  19. net — after costs
  20. spring — the season
  21. net — for catching
  22. spring — of water
  23. rash — a series
  24. land — a country

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