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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. face — to confront
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mate — to breed
  9. sharp — clever
  10. face — to point toward
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. key — in music
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — a gift
  17. mate — a partner
  18. face — part of the head
  19. present — there
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. key — the most important part
  22. present — the time now
  23. spring — of water
  24. bear — the animal

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