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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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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: roll · present · hide · cabinet · rest · spring · bay · stick

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. spring — of water
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — the time now
  9. rest — a break
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. present — there
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spring — a coil
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. present — a gift

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