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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. craft — boats
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. hand — in cards
  5. craft — a skill
  6. hand — help
  7. march — music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. roll — a cake
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bear — the animal
  17. charge — a price
  18. march — the month
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. charge — in control
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — electricity
  24. roll — a list

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