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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. key — in music
  4. cell — a phone
  5. root — of a word
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bear — the animal
  8. snap — to click
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cap — of ice
  14. root — the cause
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fall — the season
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cap — a hat

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