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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. march — the month
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rush — hurry
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rest — a break
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. march — the month
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — clever
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. march — music
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bear — the animal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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