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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. date — the fruit
  7. object — an aim
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lean — thin
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bear — the animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. root — of a word
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. object — to protest
  24. root — the cause

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