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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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. bear — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — to sink
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mate — a partner
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bear — the animal
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mate — to breed
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. spring — of water
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mate — a friend
  23. sharp — clever
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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