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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. present — there
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. degree — from a university
  8. present — the time now
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — a weight
  11. spring — the season
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. charge — in control
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. charge — a price
  20. present — a gift
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. plane — a tool

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