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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 124 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rash — hasty
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. rash — a series
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mark — a grade
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. snap — to click
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mark — to pay attention

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