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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — thin
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — of water
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. toast — bread
  15. spring — a coil
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bear — the animal
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lean — to bend
  22. spring — the season
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. lean — to rest against

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