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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fine — all right
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wind — moving air
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bear — the animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. perch — the fish
  20. vault — a safe
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pound — a weight
  24. prune — to trim

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