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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. spring — of water
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. spring — a coil
  9. toast — bread
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. roll — a list
  13. bear — the animal
  14. roll — a cake
  15. spring — the season
  16. pass — a permit
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. jam — a tight spot

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