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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 120 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: bay · bark · scale · stand · clip · stick · bear · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bear — the animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bark — to shout
  15. spring — of water
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. clip — a video
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spring — the season
  24. stand — on your feet

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