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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. season — of the year
  3. track — a path
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — to keep track
  15. spring — the season
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. season — in sport
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. spring — of water
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. track — a song
  24. fork — in a road

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