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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · safe · ruler · mug · cold · net · spring · deal

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — not warm
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cell — in biology
  13. spring — of water
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. net — in sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mug — a cup
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. net — after costs
  20. cell — a phone
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — the season
  23. mug — a face
  24. spring — a coil

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