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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: mark · season · spring · tear · spell · date · wind · mug

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mug — a cup
  6. season — of the year
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. season — in sport
  11. spell — letters
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mug — a face
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mark — a grade
  17. spell — a short time
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wind — moving air
  22. spell — magic
  23. mug — to rob
  24. spring — the season

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