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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. date — the fruit
  3. land — a country
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — to come down
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bear — the animal
  10. land — ground
  11. row — a line
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. row — to paddle
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — a tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. patient — a sick person

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