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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. chair — a leader
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — of ice

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