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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 116 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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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 · bear · rest · chip · bowl · lean · wind · mouse

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. chip — to eat
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spring — of water
  24. wind — to turn a key

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