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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. spell — magic
  8. spring — of water
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. last — finally
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. last — to go on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pit — in a race
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. last — final
  22. spell — letters
  23. lean — thin
  24. pit — a hole

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