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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. season — of the year
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rush — hurry
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. suit — to fit
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cap — a hat
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. staff — employees
  21. cap — a lid
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cap — of ice

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