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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. wind — moving air
  4. can — a tin
  5. track — a path
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. track — a song
  10. wake — a trail
  11. toast — bread
  12. bulb — for light
  13. can — a tin
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. track — to keep track
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bulb — for light
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. can — to be able to
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. spring — of water

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