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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cold — not warm
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. saw — the tool
  24. prune — to trim

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