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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. charge — in control
  4. spring — the season
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ground — crushed
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ground — a position
  11. charge — a price
  12. land — to come down
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — of water
  16. charge — electricity
  17. deal — to handle
  18. land — a country
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mark — a trace
  23. land — ground
  24. lie — to recline

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