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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. suit — to fit
  7. perch — the fish
  8. suit — clothes
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. wake — a trail
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tear — to rip
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. suit — in cards
  16. dip — to sink
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. scale — in music
  24. tear — from crying

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