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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — a partner
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fall — the season
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. lean — to bend
  13. march — the month
  14. lean — thin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. march — music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mate — a friend

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