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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. foot — a measure
  3. chip — to eat
  4. spring — a coil
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. charge — in control
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. spring — the season
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. foot — part of the body

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