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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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 — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. present — there
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. present — the time now
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. present — a gift
  15. swing — music
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bark — to shout
  18. swing — to play on
  19. snap — to click
  20. branch — a division
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. swing — in golf
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. kick — in football

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