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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. present — a gift
  3. chair — a leader
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. spring — a coil
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. drill — army training
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. craft — a skill
  21. drill — a practice
  22. craft — boats
  23. kick — in football
  24. leaves — to go away

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