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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fork — in a road
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. content — happy
  7. rock — a stone
  8. content — the amount
  9. rock — music
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. kick — in football
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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