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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bank — of a river
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bank — for money
  9. field — farmland
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. field — a subject
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spring — the season
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bank — for money
  18. rest — a break
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. field — for sport
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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