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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bulb — for light
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. spring — the season
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chest — of your body
  13. sharp — clever
  14. staff — employees
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chest — a box
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. staff — employees
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chest — of your body
  24. staff — a stick

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