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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 120 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. spring — of water
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spring — a coil
  13. deal — to handle
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. file — a document
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. key — in music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. tear — from crying

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