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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fine — high quality
  3. clip — for paper
  4. spring — of water
  5. fine — all right
  6. firm — steady
  7. clip — a video
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. present — there
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spring — a coil
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mouse — for a computer

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