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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. scale — in music
  7. bound — certain
  8. court — of a king
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. court — of law
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. court — for sport
  24. spring — the season

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