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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — to shout
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bound — certain
  13. bank — of a river
  14. spell — letters
  15. bank — for money
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spell — magic
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wax — to grow

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