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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. spring — of water
  3. can — a tin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. spring — the season
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pop — soda
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rush — hurry
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. can — a tin
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rash — a series

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