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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — the amount
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. drill — the tool
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — army training
  18. dip — to sink
  19. content — happy
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. calf — of the leg

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