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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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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: fall · bear · mate · spring · pit · net · mouse · craft

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fall — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. spring — the season
  15. net — after costs
  16. pit — in a race
  17. net — for catching
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fall — to drop
  20. net — in sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bear — to put up with

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