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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wake — a trail
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chair — a leader
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. degree — temperature
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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