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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. firm — steady
  3. hand — help
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mate — to breed
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — decided
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wake — a trail
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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