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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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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: can · spring · face · foot · leaves · bark · ball · bear

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. can — a tin
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. spring — of water
  5. face — to confront
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bark — to shout
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. can — to be able to
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — the season
  24. bear — the animal

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