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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. spring — of water
  4. file — a document
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. file — a line of people
  9. prune — to trim
  10. file — a tool
  11. spring — the season
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cell — a phone
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bear — to put up with

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