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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. staff — a stick
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. staff — employees
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bear — the animal
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. staff — employees
  19. toast — bread
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rest — a break
  24. cabinet — ministers

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