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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. last — final
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bore — to tire
  6. spring — a coil
  7. roll — a list
  8. lean — thin
  9. last — to go on
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lean — to bend
  13. last — finally
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. spring — of water
  18. bank — for money
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. toast — bread
  22. bank — for money
  23. bore — to drill
  24. roll — on a roll

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