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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. club — for golf
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. object — to protest
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. object — an aim
  15. wake — a trail
  16. object — a thing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. club — for dancing
  21. season — in sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. club — a group
  24. season — of the year

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