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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · ground · spring · perch · craft · staff · fall · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. spring — the season
  4. staff — employees
  5. fall — to drop
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. staff — employees
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. spring — a coil
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spring — of water
  13. ground — crushed
  14. land — ground
  15. craft — boats
  16. land — to come down
  17. ground — the earth
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fall — the season
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ground — a position
  23. land — a country
  24. fall — to drop

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