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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. net — for catching
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. foot — a measure
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. net — in sport
  8. last — final
  9. root — of a word
  10. date — the fruit
  11. plane — a tool
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. net — after costs
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. root — of a plant
  17. last — to go on
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. last — finally
  22. root — the cause
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bear — the animal

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