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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spring — of water
  5. branch — a division
  6. root — of a word
  7. bore — to drill
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. craft — a skill
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. can — to be able to
  17. root — the cause
  18. rush — hurry
  19. spring — the season
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bore — to tire
  23. craft — boats
  24. spring — a coil

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