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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. bark — to shout
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bank — of a river
  8. shower — to wash
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. shower — rain
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — a coil
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bank — for money
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wax — to grow
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wax — for sculpting

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