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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. toast — bread
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. dip — to sink
  8. saw — the tool
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — the animal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mine — for digging
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. craft — a skill
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bear — the animal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. craft — boats

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