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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. race — a contest
  4. tube — a container
  5. wake — a trail
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. stand — to bear
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. race — humankind
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bulb — for light

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