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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rash — a series
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bear — the animal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rash — hasty
  9. shower — rain
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mug — to rob
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. net — for catching
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. swing — to play on
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. swing — music
  24. mug — a face

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