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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.

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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 · bark · suit · mouse · hand · present · bowl · last

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. present — the time now
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. suit — in cards
  6. last — final
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. hand — help
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. suit — clothes
  15. present — there
  16. last — finally
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. last — to go on
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. hand — in cards
  24. present — a gift

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