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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. land — to come down
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. land — a country
  9. lean — to bend
  10. track — a song
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. land — ground
  20. lean — thin
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — for light

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