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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cold — an illness
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. land — a country
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fall — to drop
  14. suit — to fit
  15. can — a tin
  16. land — to come down
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. land — ground
  23. bear — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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