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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pop — soda
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. toast — bread
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — a position
  9. pop — to visit
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pop — music
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fall — the season
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hide — to keep secret

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