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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lean — thin
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fine — high quality
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — low music
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fine — all right
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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