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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 124 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — letters
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mug — to rob
  9. staff — employees
  10. mug — a face
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. spell — a short time
  18. staff — a stick
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. staff — employees
  21. can — a tin
  22. bear — the animal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mug — a cup

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