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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lean — to bend
  4. spring — of water
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. firm — a company
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — a coil
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lean — thin
  16. shower — rain
  17. firm — steady
  18. game — wild animals
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. shower — to wash
  21. game — a match
  22. land — to come down
  23. spring — the season
  24. lash — to lash out

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