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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bank — for money
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. charge — a price
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pop — music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pop — soda
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. charge — in control
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. rush — hurry

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