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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spring — a coil
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — high quality
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. mark — a trace
  9. spring — of water
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — the season
  12. field — for sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — a subject
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. field — farmland
  23. mark — a grade
  24. nail — for a hammer

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