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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wind — moving air
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. current — electric
  6. present — the time now
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. foot — a measure
  10. present — there
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — of water
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. present — a gift
  18. current — happening now
  19. kick — in football
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — the animal

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