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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cap — a hat
  4. present — there
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rock — music
  11. present — a gift
  12. kick — in football
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cap — a lid
  20. present — the time now
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. squash — the sport

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