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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. shower — rain
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. roll — a list
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. suit — in cards
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spring — of water
  15. drill — army training
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. drill — the tool
  18. roll — a cake
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bear — the animal
  24. roll — on a roll

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