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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. spring — the season
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. deal — to handle
  8. craft — boats
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. season — of the year
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. branch — a division
  15. season — in sport
  16. foot — a measure
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. craft — a skill
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — to add flavour

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