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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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. file — a document
  3. wind — moving air
  4. spring — of water
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bear — the animal
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pitch — completely
  23. file — a tool
  24. spring — the season

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