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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. spring — of water
  4. object — a thing
  5. spring — the season
  6. present — there
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fine — all right
  9. spring — a coil
  10. clip — to cut
  11. present — the time now
  12. fine — high quality
  13. swing — music
  14. object — an aim
  15. present — a gift
  16. squash — the sport
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bear — the animal
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. clip — a video
  22. object — to protest
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. squash — the vegetable

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