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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. spring — the season
  3. bank — for money
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. race — the arms race
  9. root — of a plant
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mate — a friend
  12. race — a contest
  13. bank — for money
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. race — humankind
  16. spring — of water
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mate — to breed
  19. root — of a word
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bank — of a river
  22. root — the cause
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bear — the animal

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