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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stem — to come from
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mug — a face
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wake — a trail
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mug — a cup
  24. swing — music

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