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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. plane — a tool
  5. row — a line
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. season — of the year
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. season — in sport
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. row — to paddle
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  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