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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. staff — employees
  3. bear — the animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. firm — steady
  6. spring — the season
  7. bear — the animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. staff — a stick
  10. spring — of water
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. firm — decided
  13. staff — employees
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. snap — to click
  16. firm — a company
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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