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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. object — an aim
  3. march — the month
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. last — to go on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. last — final
  8. firm — decided
  9. row — to paddle
  10. march — music
  11. object — to protest
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. row — a line
  15. object — a thing
  16. spring — a coil
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. last — finally
  19. kick — in football
  20. march — the month
  21. firm — a company
  22. bear — the animal
  23. firm — steady
  24. spring — of water

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