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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: mug · wave · pop · fan · bear · object · spring · season

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. object — an aim
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spring — the season
  9. mug — a face
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. object — to protest
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. season — of the year
  17. spring — of water
  18. season — in sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pop — soda
  22. mug — to rob
  23. object — a thing
  24. pop — music

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