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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — a coil
  6. kick — in football
  7. season — of the year
  8. can — a tin
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. dip — to sink
  15. last — final
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. last — to go on
  20. pit — a hole
  21. season — in sport
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pit — in a race
  24. dip — a sauce

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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