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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. prune — to trim
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wind — moving air
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mark — a grade
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wind — moving air
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. scale — in music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bowl — to roll

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