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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. last — to go on
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. last — final
  6. spring — of water
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cue — a signal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. season — of the year
  13. spring — the season
  14. last — finally
  15. season — in sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lean — thin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cue — for pool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mine — belonging to me

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