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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. object — an aim
  3. charge — in control
  4. object — to protest
  5. charge — a price
  6. object — a thing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. degree — temperature
  11. clip — for paper
  12. spring — of water
  13. degree — from a university
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. clip — a video
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. clip — to cut

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