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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. bear — the animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. track — a path
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ground — crushed
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. land — to come down
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rock — a stone
  20. land — ground
  21. rock — music
  22. land — a country
  23. face — to confront
  24. calf — a young animal

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