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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. tube — a container
  5. spell — magic
  6. bore — to drill
  7. land — to come down
  8. track — to keep track
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. track — a song
  11. tube — the underground
  12. land — ground
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. squash — the sport
  16. land — a country
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. track — a path
  23. bear — the animal
  24. squash — to crush

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