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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. present — the time now
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bear — the animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. spring — a coil
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spring — of water
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. present — there
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. branch — of a tree

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