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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. spell — magic
  4. fork — in a road
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. season — in sport
  12. rash — hasty
  13. season — of the year
  14. root — the cause
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. root — of a word
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rash — a series
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. spell — letters

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