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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. club — a group
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — army training
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. row — a line
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. toast — bread
  15. club — for golf
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mate — to breed
  20. club — for dancing
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bear — the animal
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. face — part of the head

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