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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spring — the season
  3. net — for catching
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mate — to breed
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — of water
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mark — a grade
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tube — a container
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. net — in sport
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. net — after costs
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mate — a partner

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