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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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Word bank
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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. can — a tin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mug — to rob
  10. spring — a coil
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pass — a permit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bear — the animal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. game — a match
  17. drill — army training
  18. can — a tin
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mug — a face
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spring — the season

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