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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spring — of water
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mug — a face
  7. degree — from a university
  8. spring — a coil
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mug — a cup
  17. date — the fruit
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. spring — the season
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. plane — in geometry

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