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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 120 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pound — a weight
  6. spell — letters
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spell — a short time
  14. craft — boats
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. craft — a skill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spell — magic
  24. wake — before a funeral

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