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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cold — an illness
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. suit — to fit
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — in cards
  9. spring — of water
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. suit — clothes
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a city
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cold — not warm
  23. capital — money
  24. spring — a coil

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