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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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. hide — animal skin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. spring — a coil
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spring — the season
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — clever
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. roll — a cake
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chip — for betting
  24. roll — a list

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