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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.

Make a worksheet

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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. land — to come down
  4. key — the most important part
  5. land — ground
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wake — a trail
  9. can — a tin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. land — a country
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. key — in music
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bear — the animal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — the animal

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