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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 124 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ground — a position
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. tear — from crying
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ground — crushed
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. spring — a coil
  17. ground — the earth
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spring — the season
  21. snap — to click
  22. bulb — for light
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. jam — a tight spot

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