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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: bear · leaves · mouse · hand · roll · toast · pop · spring

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hand — help
  4. roll — a cake
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spring — the season
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — a list
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pop — music
  14. toast — bread
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. spring — of water
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pop — soda
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. hand — in cards
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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