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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. field — for sport
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bear — the animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. charge — a price
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. stem — to come from
  13. date — the fruit
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. field — farmland
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. charge — electricity
  23. field — a subject
  24. charge — in control

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