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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spring — the season
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cue — a hint
  8. spring — of water
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cue — for pool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bear — the animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spring — a coil
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. charge — a price
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. charge — in control
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. file — a line of people

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