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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · spring · tear · sharp · leaves · bear · bay · scale

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. spring — a coil
  3. tear — from crying
  4. spring — of water
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. spring — the season
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. scale — size or range
  15. sharp — clever
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. scale — in music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. leaves — lets stay

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