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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mate — a partner
  3. staff — employees
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mate — to breed
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. band — a ring
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. tube — a container
  19. spring — a coil
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. band — a music group
  23. staff — employees
  24. spring — of water

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