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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stock — goods
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — shares
  12. prune — to trim
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. spring — of water
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. snap — to click
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. spring — the season
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — the tool

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