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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. spring — of water
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wound — an injury
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. deal — to handle
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bound — obliged
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bound — certain
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. temple — a place of worship

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