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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spring — of water
  6. rock — music
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ball — a great time
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. kid — child
  17. spring — the season
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ball — a dance
  20. board — a committee
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bear — the animal
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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