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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rock — music
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. firm — decided
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. spell — letters
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cap — of ice
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. spell — magic
  24. rock — a stone

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