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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. tube — the underground
  4. saw — the tool
  5. clip — a video
  6. firm — decided
  7. charge — a price
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cap — a lid
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cap — of ice
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — to cut
  18. charge — in control
  19. bear — the animal
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. tube — a container
  24. saw — the tool

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