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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 · cue · rash · hand · mouse · bear · can · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. present — a gift
  2. rash — a series
  3. hand — in cards
  4. spring — the season
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. present — the time now
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. can — a tin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. hand — help
  18. can — to be able to
  19. present — there
  20. spring — of water
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bear — the animal
  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