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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. track — a song
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. track — a path
  13. clip — for paper
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. clip — a video
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bear — the animal
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fall — the season
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mug — a face

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