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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ground — crushed
  5. spring — the season
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ground — a position
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. temple — a place of worship

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