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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 · season · band · nail · bear · firm · bat · sharp

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. firm — decided
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. spring — of water
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. season — of the year
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. season — in sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a ring
  14. sharp — clever
  15. firm — steady
  16. band — a music group
  17. spring — a coil
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. spring — the season
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bat — the animal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. firm — a company
  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