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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. can — a tin
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. file — a tool
  8. bore — to tire
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. season — in sport
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. file — a line of people
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. file — a document
  18. root — of a word
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. season — of the year
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. safe — a strongbox

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