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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 · present · pop · leaves · spring · nail · bark · rock

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — of water
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. spring — the season
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rock — music
  14. present — a gift
  15. pop — music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pop — soda
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. spring — a coil
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. cap — a hat
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cap — a lid

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