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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. net — in sport
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — of the year
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. spring — a coil
  9. net — after costs
  10. spring — of water
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. season — in sport
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mug — a face
  21. spring — the season
  22. net — for catching
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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