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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. foot — a measure
  7. firm — a company
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cue — a hint
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. firm — steady
  16. cue — for pool
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. firm — decided
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fork — in a road

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