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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. tube — the underground
  4. craft — a skill
  5. tube — a container
  6. drill — army training
  7. shower — rain
  8. bear — the animal
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. drill — a practice
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. shower — to wash
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mark — a grade
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. face — to point toward
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mark — a trace

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