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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: cap · lean · bear · spring · spell · cue · mark · fine

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — a signal
  3. spring — the season
  4. lean — thin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fine — all right
  7. spell — letters
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spell — magic
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mark — a grade
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spring — of water
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fine — high quality

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