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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spring — of water
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. spring — a coil
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. deal — to handle
  11. firm — steady
  12. bear — the animal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. sharp — clever
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spring — the season
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. coach — a trainer

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