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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. toast — bread
  3. present — there
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spring — a coil
  6. can — a tin
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hand — help
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spring — the season
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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