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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. land — ground
  7. kid — child
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bear — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. land — to come down
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. land — a country
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — a trace

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