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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. staff — employees
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bass — low music
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. degree — temperature
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. spring — the season
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. face — part of the head
  17. degree — an amount
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. face — to confront
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bear — the animal
  24. staff — a stick

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