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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: mouse · cold · nail · spring · mate · suit · tear · leaves

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mate — to breed
  3. spring — the season
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mate — a friend
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mate — a partner
  18. spring — a coil
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tear — from crying
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cold — not warm

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