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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ground — crushed
  8. file — a line of people
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ground — the earth
  11. branch — a division
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ground — a position
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. file — a tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. file — a document

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