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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bat — the animal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. season — in sport
  9. spring — the season
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bear — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. spring — a coil
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. suit — to fit

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