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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. craft — a skill
  9. staff — employees
  10. content — the amount
  11. bear — the animal
  12. craft — boats
  13. drill — a practice
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stem — to come from
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rush — hurry
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. drill — army training
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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