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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: fine · cell · object · staff · dip · row · mine · spring

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spring — the season
  4. object — a thing
  5. spring — a coil
  6. staff — employees
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. spring — of water
  14. cell — in biology
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fine — high quality
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. staff — employees
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. object — an aim
  21. fine — all right
  22. object — to protest
  23. row — a line
  24. fine — a penalty

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