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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. spring — a coil
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — a division
  15. present — the time now
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. can — a tin
  20. staff — employees
  21. bulb — for light
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. can — to be able to

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