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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. object — to protest
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bear — the animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. band — a music group
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. band — a ring
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — a thing
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. rock — music
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rock — a stone
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. object — an aim
  23. hand — help
  24. safe — out of danger

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