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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cue — for pool
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. mate — a partner
  13. spell — magic
  14. chair — a leader
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mate — a friend
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mate — to breed
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. cue — a hint
  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