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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. cap — a lid
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. root — of a plant
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. root — of a word
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. saw — the tool
  17. shower — rain
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. root — the cause
  20. cap — of ice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — music
  24. cap — a hat

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