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

Word bank: spring · bear · sharp · foot · mark · fine · rest · trunk

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. spring — the season
  5. foot — a measure
  6. spring — of water
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mark — a trace
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mark — a grade
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rest — a break
  21. fine — all right
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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