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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — a path
  4. vault — a safe
  5. current — happening now
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cold — not warm
  11. tear — to rip
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. tear — from crying
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. current — of water
  17. cold — an illness
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. current — electric
  23. rest — what's left
  24. dip — to dunk

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