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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. row — to paddle
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. spring — of water
  6. mark — a grade
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. present — the time now
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. tear — to rip
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. present — a gift
  19. row — a line
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. racket — for tennis

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