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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. craft — a skill
  7. spell — letters
  8. capital — a city
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. land — ground
  13. rush — hurry
  14. deal — to handle
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. spring — a coil
  17. craft — boats
  18. land — a country
  19. spell — magic
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. land — to come down
  22. spring — the season
  23. capital — money
  24. rush — to hurry

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