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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.

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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bound — obliged
  3. march — the month
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. spring — the season
  6. rush — hurry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. bound — certain
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bound — tied together
  21. can — to be able to
  22. march — the month
  23. spring — of water
  24. mouse — the animal

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