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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. face — to confront
  6. drill — army training
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stock — goods
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fork — in a road
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stock — shares
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. drill — the tool
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mouse — for a computer

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