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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. drill — army training
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. staff — employees
  11. spring — the season
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bear — the animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. rock — music
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fine — all right
  19. drill — the tool
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bound — certain
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. spring — of water
  24. tube — a container

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