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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.

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: spring · stick · march · fine · track · lean · toast · bear

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — the season
  4. march — the month
  5. lean — to bend
  6. toast — bread
  7. march — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fine — all right
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. track — a path
  18. march — the month
  19. spring — of water
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bear — the animal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fine — high quality
  24. spring — a coil

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