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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: spring · lie · bear · coach · snap · mine · stick · object

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bear — the animal
  7. object — a thing
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. object — to protest
  13. spring — the season
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. object — an aim
  18. snap — to click
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. spring — of water

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