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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. chest — a box
  3. board — a committee
  4. can — to be able to
  5. track — a path
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. track — to keep track
  10. board — to get on
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rest — what's left
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rest — what's left
  15. snap — to click
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. can — a tin
  20. rest — a break
  21. track — a song
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. sharp — exactly

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