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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 116 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: march · ball · season · file · firm · bear · spring · safe

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bear — the animal
  3. season — of the year
  4. file — a tool
  5. spring — the season
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. march — music
  8. firm — decided
  9. file — a document
  10. firm — steady
  11. bear — the animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. firm — a company
  14. march — the month
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spring — of water
  17. season — in sport
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. march — the month
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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