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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. swing — to play on
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — the tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cap — of ice
  12. band — a music group
  13. bear — the animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. spring — of water
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cap — a lid
  19. band — a ring
  20. spring — the season
  21. can — a tin
  22. swing — music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bear — to put up with

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