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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. spell — magic
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spell — letters
  17. present — there
  18. rest — a break
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. mark — a grade

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