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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 124 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. charge — electricity
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. charge — in control
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. content — the amount
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. charge — a price
  19. content — happy
  20. prune — to trim
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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