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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a dance
  6. kick — in football
  7. rest — a break
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ball — a great time
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. face — to confront
  21. row — a line
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. row — to paddle

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