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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. branch — a division
  5. band — a music group
  6. spring — of water
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cap — of ice
  9. firm — steady
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. spring — a coil
  12. band — a ring
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ball — a great time
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. toast — bread
  17. firm — decided
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cap — a hat
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. firm — a company
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ball — a dance

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