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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. prune — to trim
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bear — the animal
  13. firm — a company
  14. bound — obliged
  15. drill — army training
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bound — certain
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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