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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — the season
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chest — a box
  7. perch — the fish
  8. deal — to handle
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spring — of water
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. chest — of your body

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