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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mark — a trace
  4. craft — boats
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spell — letters
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wind — moving air
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. spell — magic
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ball — a great time

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