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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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Word bank
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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's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. drill — army training
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. spell — letters
  7. race — the arms race
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bear — the animal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. spell — magic
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. drill — the tool
  18. spell — a short time
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. staff — employees
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — a practice
  24. kick — in football

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