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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. spring — of water
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. race — humankind
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. spring — the season
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. staff — employees

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