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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mug — a face
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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