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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mark — a trace
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bear — the animal
  7. content — happy
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mate — to breed
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mate — a partner
  21. sharp — clever
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bear — the animal

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