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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — a container
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. branch — a division
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. craft — boats
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. craft — a skill
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — to be able to

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