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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. face — part of the head
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mine — for digging
  8. spring — of water
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stock — shares
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stock — goods
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. can — a tin
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. can — to be able to
  22. face — to confront
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bear — to put up with

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