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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · hide · cell · row · present · object

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. spring — a coil
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. row — to paddle
  5. object — a thing
  6. row — a line
  7. present — the time now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cell — a phone
  10. spring — of water
  11. present — there
  12. spring — the season
  13. present — a gift
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. object — to protest
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. object — an aim
  18. cell — in a prison

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