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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — the underground
  6. dip — to sink
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bear — the animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fine — all right
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tube — a container
  13. spring — of water
  14. bear — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — high quality
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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