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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. prune — to trim
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. field — a subject
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. field — for sport
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. field — farmland
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bark — to shout
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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