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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. spring — of water
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stock — shares
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. hand — help
  24. rest — a break

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