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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. craft — boats
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fall — the season
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. snap — to click
  9. toast — bread
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. chair — a professorship

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