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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fall — the season
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rash — a series
  5. bear — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. key — in music
  12. spring — a coil
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. key — for a lock
  16. spring — the season
  17. foot — a measure
  18. toast — bread
  19. bear — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. fall — to drop
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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