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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mate — a friend
  3. charge — in control
  4. face — to confront
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mate — to breed
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mug — a face
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rest — what's left
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rock — music
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. charge — a price
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rest — a break
  24. spring — the season

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