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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mine — for digging
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tube — a container
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. prune — to trim
  11. season — of the year
  12. can — a tin
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bear — the animal
  19. season — in sport
  20. tube — the underground
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. can — a tin

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