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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mug — to rob
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. mug — a face
  10. cap — of ice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cap — a hat
  14. drill — army training
  15. mug — a cup
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — of water
  23. cap — a lid
  24. nail — for a hammer

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