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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cap — a hat
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — of water
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. band — a ring
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cap — of ice

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