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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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. spring — of water
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. file — a line of people
  6. season — of the year
  7. current — electric
  8. track — a path
  9. current — happening now
  10. file — a tool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. track — a song
  13. current — of water
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. craft — a skill
  19. file — a document
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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