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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wax — to grow
  14. march — the month
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wax — in the ear

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