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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bear — the animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stem — to come from
  16. tube — a container
  17. face — to confront
  18. pit — in a race

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