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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. race — humankind
  11. branch — a division
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. race — a contest
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. branch — of a bank

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