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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. spring — of water
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. band — a music group
  10. fine — all right
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bear — the animal
  16. toast — bread
  17. last — to go on
  18. current — of water
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. band — a ring
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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