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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mug — to rob
  4. object — to protest
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. object — a thing
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spring — a coil
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. mug — a face
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. land — ground
  16. date — the fruit
  17. object — an aim
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lean — thin

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