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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — the season
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. kick — in football
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. spring — of water
  9. can — a tin
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — hurry
  13. drill — army training
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. can — to be able to
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bear — the animal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. racket — for tennis

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