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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. face — part of the head
  4. season — of the year
  5. pass — a permit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rest — what's left
  8. prune — to trim
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rest — a break
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. face — to confront
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. degree — an amount
  18. drill — army training
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rest — what's left
  21. drill — the tool
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. face — to point toward

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