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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. suit — to fit
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. net — for catching
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a line of people
  12. can — a tin
  13. net — after costs
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. suit — clothes
  17. shower — to wash
  18. file — a tool
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. net — in sport
  21. suit — in cards
  22. file — a document
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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