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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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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. club — for golf
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. spell — a short time
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bear — the animal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — letters
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. club — a group
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. snap — to click
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spell — magic

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