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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. shower — rain
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. spring — of water
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. shower — to wash
  11. craft — boats
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. craft — a skill
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fine — high quality
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fine — all right

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