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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. land — a country
  5. bank — of a river
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mate — to breed
  8. can — a tin
  9. bank — for money
  10. mate — a partner
  11. present — there
  12. land — ground
  13. mate — a friend
  14. land — to come down
  15. rush — hurry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. present — a gift
  18. spring — of water
  19. bank — for money
  20. can — to be able to
  21. present — the time now
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. can — a tin
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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