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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.

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: bear · spring · fan · present · rush · file · key · racket

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. present — the time now
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bear — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. key — the most important part
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. rush — hurry
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bear — the animal
  21. key — in music
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

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