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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. spell — letters
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. object — a thing
  16. season — in sport
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rush — hurry
  19. spring — the season
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. object — an aim
  23. spring — of water
  24. season — of the year

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