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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mug — a face
  3. spring — the season
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mug — a cup
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bank — of a river
  12. spring — of water
  13. squash — to crush
  14. scale — in music
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bank — for money
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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